The report on illegal mining (galamsey) by former Minister of Environment, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has not been reviewed by the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame. He gave his reasons for this in an exclusive interview with Kojo Yankson on Joy FM Tuesday.
He said that he was interested in the report, but he wanted to avoid any suspicions that might arise if he reviewed it himself. He said that he preferred to let independent bodies, such as CHRAJ and OSP, investigate it.
“I am interested in it, but of course, certain fora have been invoked. I understand CHRAJ sees of it, the OSP sees of it. If now I, as Attorney General were to review the report, what would you think? I’m sure it will lend itself to all kinds of suspicions,” he said.
He assured the public that the report was being probed by the appropriate authorities and that Professor Frimpong-Boateng had also been questioned by the police.
He explained that he did not need to intervene in the investigation process because the police would eventually send him the docket based on the professor’s report. He said that his office would then decide whether the report had enough evidence for prosecution.
“So really, I’ve not removed myself from the process, I’m part of it. It’s just due process that will have to be followed,” he said.
He also cautioned the media not to treat the report as conclusive until it was verified by law.
“But a caution and admonition that I would like to give you, the media is that do not raise the level of it and do not accord any sanctity to the report until it has gone through the test prescribed by law.”
The report by Professor Frimpong-Boateng, which was leaked on April 20, named some high-ranking government officials as being involved in galamsey. He also claimed that some people in government fabricated the story of 500 missing excavators seized from illegal miners in 2020 to get him fired.
The report caused a public outcry and prompted President Akufo-Addo to order the Ghana Police Service to investigate it.
